“You’re sending me away?”
“I’m saving your life, Amia. My father will kill you. Soon enough, he’ll find a reason, no matter how small, and I’ll have to be a part of it. Watching you die doesn’t interest me. So I want you to leave and never return.”
She stared at the heavy sack she now held, her brows drawn together. Clarity entered her expression and her gaze snapped to his. “Come with me, my prince.”
He had to admit, that response almost made him smile. “Impossible.”
“I know you hate it here. I know you despise your father. He’s an evil, cruel, heartless man.” Her chin raised as if she’d said something she was proud of. “You’re not like him. You’ll never be like him. You try to hide it, but you have a good, kind heart. Come with me and we could start a new life together. I could make you happy.”
He took her arm and led her to the wagon, picked her up by her waist, and placed her aboard.
“Be happy enough for both of us,” he told her.
Then he turned away and walked back into the castle.
? ? ?
The queen of Limeros was smiling. How . . . bizarre. Lucia eyed her warily as they met in the hallway.
“Mother,” she said, although she now knew that word wasn’t exactly the most appropriate one. Her initial anxiety and fear had since been replaced by outrage that this important information had been kept from her for her entire life.
“Lucia, darling. How are you?”
She snorted, a very unladylike sound that raised the queen’s eyebrows. “Apologies, but I don’t remember the last time you inquired about my well-being.”
The queen winced. “Have I really been so uncaring toward you?”
Lucia shrugged. “Now I know why. You’re not really my mother. Why would you care?”
The queen glanced down the hallway to ensure that they were alone. She drew Lucia a few steps down, into a secluded alcove. Lucia expected her expression to harden, but it did just the opposite.
“You should have been told a long time ago. I wanted to tell you.”
“You did?” Lucia gave her a look of sheer disbelief.
“Yes, of course. Something so important shouldn’t have come as a shock to you. I apologize for that.”
“You do?”
“I do. Truly. Even though I am queen here, I still must do as the king commands. He didn’t want you to know. He was afraid you’d be upset when you learned the truth before it was the right time.”
“I am upset! Where is my real mother? How can I find her?”
Again, the queen cast a glance down the hallway as if fearful that anyone was listening. This was a secret, after all. Goddess forbid that anyone learn that the Limerian princess was born in Paelsia.
“She’s dead.”
Lucia’s breath caught. “How did she die?”
The queen’s lips thinned. “Sabina killed her.”
“Why would she do such a horrible thing?” Nausea rose inside her.
“Because Sabina Mallius was a vile, evil bitch who deserved her fate.”
Lucia fought to breathe normally, uncertain what to believe. The world had been shaken all around her and would never settle completely again. “Why did Father keep Sabina around so long after she did this?”
The queen’s expression soured further. “Other than her obvious charms? He also saw her as a wise advisor. One who could help him get what he most wants in life. Power.”
“That’s why I was taken at the cost of my birth mother’s life.” Her throat closed. “Because he thought I could help him to become more powerful.”
“Your birth was heralded in the stars. Somehow, some way, Sabina found out where you were. At the time, I was trying to have another child but failing. My body had been devastated by miscarriages. So to be presented with a lovely little girl that I could raise as my own and no one would know the difference...well, I didn’t ask for details. I simply accepted everything.”
Lucia felt faint, but she forced herself to appear as strong as possible. “If you were so happy to get the chance to raise me, why is it that you can barely look at me? Why have you never said a kind word to me?”
“Of course I have.” But then her brows drew together as if she doubted her own words. “I don’t know. I never realized that I was hurting you. My own mother was a cruel and . . . cold woman. Perhaps I took after her more than I . . . more than I realized. But it wasn’t on purpose, Lucia. I love both you and your brother.”
“He’s not my brother,” Lucia said quietly. She’d tried not to think about what happened in Magnus’s chambers. The feel of his mouth on hers, demanding what she couldn’t give in return. The devastated look on his face when she’d pushed him away...